Janet Hill

September

I was really trying to capture the feeling of September with this one. I call it the ‘sad light’ when the summer light starts to die and the autumn light takes over. September is also a strange month and feels a little unsettled. Of course, this year it might be because I have my trial this week. Remember those horrible Chinese knock offs of my work? Well, unfortunately it has lead to legal measures. I’ve kept it under wraps for the most part but I’m hoping that when it’s all said and done I will be able to share my experience more publicly in hopes of helping other artists who might find themselves in a similar situation.

14 Responses to “September”

Lovely painting! I really enjoy your unique style, and like reading your blog as well! I bought the print of Minnie, the aggressive driver – love it! I hope you will put up more prints of the “Ladies” soon. . .
Good luck with your trial. It’s a fight but a necessary one. I hope you win!

Hi Janet! I LOVE your work and if I could, I would buy it all!! I have such a hard time deciding which one I like best because they are all so good. You are an inspiration…I hope all goes well with you and your trial so you can put it behind you. That does not sound so fun… Good luck to you and I wish you the very best. Kim

I’m so sorry for all the trouble you’re having to go thru because of some jerk who is just trying to make a quick buck. blech. I hope you can find, at the very least, some peace of mind somewhere along the way. What an horrible mess. If I could beat up the bad guys for you, I’d get right on it. Will keep my eyes open for the (lack-luster) knock-offs of your work.

On a happy note – I LOVE YOUR PAINTINGS! Each one is such a beautiful vignette of a story… I honestly got swept away last week when I saw your work for the first time. I’m putting “Janet Hill Painting” on the top of my Christmas wish list this year! I’m so thankful for you! Your work really resonates deep in my whimsy department. Though this particular one veers a little closer to my soul… Love it. Love ’em all!

Hi Janet, I knew that you were fighting off the wolves at your door, but I had no clue to what extent your battle had become!! I am so sorry!
You will win in the end, you just watch. You have integrity and deserve the right to protect your hard earned work.
We are all rooting for you…. YOU GO GIRL!! Thank you for keeping us posted. Stay strong!

Well, the knockoff paintings are certainly still out there–a quick google image search immediately turned up this website: http://www.tableauxfaitmain.com/TABLEAUX-FEMMES.html
It’s ironically hilarious that the images have watermarks to protect them from being ‘stolen’.

Such a beautiful painting! I’m so sorry you had to deal with the Chinese knock offs! I just recently found my artwork on a Chinese site like that (but I had a hard time reading it) I hope that you can share your experience about what you did. I’ve really just ignored it because I’ve heard that nothing could be done and I can’t afford ant legal help.

Hi Jennifer. I’m so sorry that this has happened to you. There may not be a whole lot you can do about that Chinese website- they likely won’t respond to a DMCA takedown notice- although I understand that you may be able to get that site blocked in North America and Europe. Contact Google to find out what might be done about it. I’m not sure if you already do this but always register your copyrights- this way you will have a much easier time finding a lawyer who will handle the case on a contingency fee basis if the infringements actually physically appear in the United States. In my situation, the knock offs actually made their way to North American stores. Copyright infringement is considered a ‘strict liability offense’ in the United States and everyone involved- from the factory that made the infringements to the distributor to the retail store that sells them are all liable.